Mirror of Shadows
by Arashi21
Summary: more than a decade after the restoration of the Water Dragon, Lu the Prodigy, now emperor, must reunite with old friends and new allies to save the empire from a two pronged attack. Rated T for future chapters. 1st Fanfic! reviews appreciated
1. Chapter 1

Lane19 does not own anything involving the original Characters or locations in Jade Empire. I only own my original characters and locations in my fan-fiction. Also the unnamed main character in this story is a character from the original Jade Empire, only changed to fit my story.

Note: the main character in this chapter is intentionally unnamed so the reader can guess who it is based on subtle clues in the story. If you have not played jade empire before, this may be confusing, but the character's name will be revealed at the end of the chapter.

Jade Empire

Mirror of Shadows

Chapter 1

In which a Golden Age is challenged 

_A shadow emerges from the East_

_And an old friend sees the first of a new destiny_

The forest was very different than it used to be. She remembered when the trees seemed to scream in agony and bend in pain, twisted into blackened, misshapen forms. She remembered when the air itself seemed to be drained of life and beauty, and breathing it was like breathing pain. She also remembered when the souls of the restless dead infested the forest like a plague, attacking travelers and caravans and tormenting the very forest itself. The Great Southern Forest seemed like it was the home of death itself.

Now, things were much different. The ghosts were now gone, the trees stood healthy and strong, and the air was now comforting as it filled the lungs. The forest was healed, and she was so glad to see it this way.

She found it hard to believe it had been so many years since she had been to this forest. Twelve years to the day since she began her journey across the Jade Empire, and still, she couldn't believe how much it had changed. "_The Forest Shadow has certainly been busy healing this forest,_" she thought. "_All her hard work has paid off at last._"

She noticed a puddle near the stairs and walked over to it. Looking at it reminded her of something, a feeling that she had pushed to the back of her head years ago. As it returned she fell a sickening pain in her stomach. She was about to turn away when she saw a hint of her reflection in the water. She decided to take a look, just for the fun of it; she wanted to see how different she was.

As she looked, a beautiful young woman stared back at her. She had long, raven hair tied back behind her head in a short ponytail and large, dark brown eyes. She wore a thin, magenta shirt that was cut at the shoulders and long, black, leggings that ended at her knees, and on her feet she wore plain, wooden sandals. And on her back, a large wooden staff was strapped around her shoulder.

She almost laughed at how she looked, even though she didn't know why; she had seen herself before, but the memories of the forest suddenly made her find her appearance very amusing. Then there was the yellow sash tied around her waist. She had made it to remind her of a friend she hadn't seen in years. In her own way, it helped her believe he hadn't forgotten her.

He had though, she was sure of it. She hadn't seen or heard from him in twelve years. If he had forgotten her, she couldn't really blame him. Being Emperor is a very busy and taxing job, or so she heard. He probably didn't have much time to himself, much less any time to remember friends he hadn't seen in years. She wasn't mad that he had forgotten her, she was just sad to lose a friend.

She turned away from the puddle, the memories becoming too strong, and walked up the long flight of stairs that led deeper into the forest. She took her time and walked, deciding to take in as much of the forest as she could. She enjoyed the way it felt just to walk in it, and, for some reason, she had an eerie feeling that it wasn't going to stay this way for long. She finally made it to the top of the stairs, and a little ways ahead of her, she saw a small graveyard with a small shrine with a green crystal directly ahead of her. These shrines were supposed to watch over the dead and ensure they would rest. Of course, these were proven to be ineffective in doing that twelve years ago, when the dead could not rest at all. Not that they were entirely useless though, as she remembered seeing the shrines cause harm to restless spirits. As she walked through the small graveyard, she hoped in the back of her mind that they still worked. Even though the Era of the Restless Dead was over, walking through this place sent a chill down her spine. Suddenly, she felt an unusual presence in the air and stopped. Instinctively she looked around for anything strange, but she only saw the trees, two headstones and the shrine. Even still, she could not shake the feeling of a strange, yet familiar presence…

After standing in the same spot for about ten minutes, she decided to push the feeling aside and continue. She came to the forked path marked by the shrine and decided to go left, she only saw more graves to the right and did not care to go near them. She kept following the path upward until she came to a bridge overlooking rushing rapids directly below. She trembled at the thought of falling in there but she wanted to get to the bottom of the strange feeling she had before. As she crossed it, the same feeling pierced her senses again. This time however, it was far stronger. She thought she heard a woman's playful laughter in her head as well. It wasn't long before the feeling vanished once more, but this time, it left a lingering sense that felt like something was compelling her to continue forward. Though the feeling was strange, it did not feel malevolent to her. She decided it wouldn't hurt to heed its call.

She crossed the bridge and followed the path upward. As she did, she noticed another familiar feeling, but this, unlike the first, was tainted and corrupt. It reminded her of the forest when it was fouled by the dead and by malevolent demonic energies. The stronger this feeling became, the less she wanted to continue on her path. Still, the feeling compelled her to move on. She eventually found herself in the middle of another forked path. Another shrine was found to the right next to another headstone. She felt the urge to go right and came across a sign she almost didn't bother to read. The words "Pilgrim's Rest Inn" were painted on it.

Her stomach reeled upon reading the words; if there was one place in this forest she remembered most, it was that damned inn. Once home to cannibals who served a terrible ancient demon known as the Mother, it was nothing but splintered wood and broken stone now, thanks to Lord Yun's men tearing it down after the Mother's death. Nevertheless, thoughts of that place nearly made her vomit. Still, the compelling feeling urged her to go in that direction, so, despite her best judgment, she followed to road to the remains of the Pilgrim's Rest Inn.

It didn't take her long to get there (The path seemed shorter because of her reluctance) and when she did the sickening feeling did not go away. In fact as soon as she saw the inn, things only became worse.

The inn was rebuilt! Albeit, different than it was before, but it was obviously reconstructed from the ruins it once was. She became worried now. If someone, or something rebuilt, it was it still here?

"Could it be the cannibals?" she said softly to herself, even thought it was unlikely, she was sure that killing the Mother did not necessarily mean the cannibals were gone too. Suddenly she decided it couldn't be them, cannibals were short, shambling, dim-witted creatures with shriveled limbs and frail bodies. There was no way that so few would be able to move all that heavy wood and stone to reconstruct the inn. But if the cannibals didn't rebuild the inn, who did?

She didn't have time to ponder it long when a spear impaled the ground inches from where she stood. The sudden attack made her jump back and she spun her head around, trying to find signs of whoever it was that attacked her. Suddenly she heard laughter coming from the forest behind her and a man stepped out of the shadows of the trees.

"Oh I'm sorry, did I scare you?" he said mockingly. He was a tall, muscular man with a shaved head and leather clothing. He had a sinister look on his face and an evil glint in his eye. "_A Bandit,_" she thought. Still she thought he was nothing to be scared of. Instead of acting afraid, she only raised an eyebrow at him and grinned, "Not really,"

The bandit looked irked for a moment, then returned her grin, but with malice

"Then allow me to try again."

Suddenly, others sprang out of hiding around her, some leapt out of the forest, and others came out of the reconstructed inn. Soon she found herself surrounded by ten men, each one armed and with the glint of greed in their eyes. They all poised to strike her down, but she didn't feel the slightest hint of fear.

"How 'bout now?" the first bandit said.

She gave him a confident, piercing glare and a mischievous smile. "If you boys want to keep all your body parts attached," she said. " You'd better go slither back into the shadows now."

"What? Arrogant wench!" growled the bandit. "We'll show you what happens when you disrespect us!" He then turned to his fellows. "Get her boys! But don't kill her, I bet she'd fetch a pretty silver piece on the slave market."

They advanced on her, their weapons poised to strike, but she only cracked her neck and dropped into a fighting stance, her playful smile never wavering.

The first bandit, the one who threw the spear, charged her, his Dao blade flashing as he whipped it around his wrist. She closed her eyes calmly as the bandit drew closer. He thrust his blade forward, hoping to pierce her side.

She easily sidestepped his blade and pushed it aside with her palm. She then opened her eyes, fiery excitement flashing within them, and slammed her free palm into his chest. The bandit's eyes bulged with pain and he let out a painful cough. Then, with cat-like agility, she stepped back and thrust her leg forward to deliver a powerful kick to the bandit's head, sending him flying backwards into one of his comrades.

The other bandits then began to charge, moving in on her like wolves surrounding a single ox. All at once, they brandished their weapons to strike. She pulled out her staff and swung it around her in a circular motion. The staff spun around and collided with each bandit's head, knocking each of them back. They all fell flat on their backs almost at the same time.

It took a few seconds before some of them began to pull themselves back up. It was just as she expected, most of them were too slow to get back up and they would leave the rest isolated for focused attacks. She waited for the first to get his balance before slinging the staff on her back.

"Ready to give up yet?" she asked mockingly. "Or do you need another lesson in humility?" The bandit shook his disorientation off and prepared for his attack, his Jian blade slashing the air. She dropped to another stance.

The bandit was struck before he knew what hit him; a flurry of fist attacks assaulted his body and torso so fast he could not retaliate. She continued to strike at him with a barrage of fists until she issued the final, powerful strike and left him broken on the ground.

No sooner had she defeated him, another bandit was already up and preparing to attack. This one carried a spear, and he was close enough to run her through. She switched stances again and thrust her arms forward, her fingers curled like claws.

The bandit thrust his spear. She nimbly sidestepped the attack and brought her curled hands forward, tightening them into fists. Using the intense focus she was taught, she used her chi to sprout long, razor-sharp claws out of her fists. With one quick swing she cut through the spear, slicing the dangerous head off, leaving a useless stick. Her next attack connected to the bandit, her chi-claws ripping through leather and flesh. She ended her assault with a jump into the air, flipping forward as she came down and brought the heel of her sandal down on the back of the bandit's head. He slammed into the ground face-first. He then crumpled on the ground with his comrade.

By the time she had finished with him, four more came up in his place, each holding equally intimidating blades, but she still did not fear, in truth, she was actually a little bored. She switched to yet another stance as the four bandits charged. The two in the middle struck first, thrusting their blades forward. She leapt up and flipped over their heads, the outer four trying to slash at her as she was airborne They attacked in unison, using teamwork to exploit a weakness in her defense."_Clever,_" she thought to herself. "_I didn't expect such strategy from thugs…_" Still, even their combined attack wasn't enough, as their attacks could not reach her as she flew over them. She landed behind them, deciding to use her staff to deal with these particularly annoying ones. It took them a few seconds before the bandits turned themselves around and faced her. As they turned they only saw a mahogany blur before everything went black.

The four bandits fell as easily as the rest. She was just about to relax when she heard rushing footsteps behind her. She thrust her staff backwards. Wood met skull as she heard the painful groan of another bandit behind her before he fell backwards onto the ground.

Soon she was staring at the last bandit still standing. He was holding his sword with a trembling hand and his eyes stared into hers with fear. She stared back, with power and confidence. Her stature overwhelmed the bandit.

"What…_are_ you?" he said timidly, and he took off, running with terror into the woods. Seeing the lone bandit scramble back into the shadows made her laugh a little as the put her staff back. She surveyed the battlefield, where nine bandits lay unconscious. Some of them had bruises and swollen faces. Others were facedown in the dirt. One of them was even bleeding on the soil.

"I think I overdid it a bit," she said to herself as she smiled mischievously.

Suddenly, the feeling came to her again. It was so strong she nearly passed out. This time, she remembered it, she knew what, or _who_, it was!

No sooner had she come to her conclusion, a bright light flashed in front of her, its intensity nearly overwhelming her eyes. The forest seemed to light up with life as well, though not in the literal sense. She felt the part of the forest she was standing burst with newfound energy.

Once the light faded and she felt it was safe to open her eyes again, she saw a large, orange fox, standing on two legs and smiling slightly, a shining halo behind its head.

"The Forest Shadow," she said as she rubbed her eyes. "I thought it was you."

The great fox spoke, as it did, its mouth did not move, instead the young woman felt her voice in her head, the ancient Tho Fan dialect, said to be the language of the gods, filling her mind. _"Well done child, you have certainly grown."_

"So it _was_ you compelling me to come here!"

"_Indeed, child." _replied the fox

"Why?"

"_Having you come here served two purposes,"_ said the fox. "_First, I brought you here to test your skill against the bandits that have made their home among the ruins of the Pilgrim's Rest Inn. I determined, if you were skilled enough, you would be able to, at least, drive them from my forest."_

"So you brought me here just to clear out some bandits?" she asked, feeling a little insulted.

The Forest Shadow laughed. _" While I wanted those bandits gone, my intention was to see how much you've grown. You will need to be skilled for what you must do." _

She stepped back a little upon hearing this. "What _I_ must do?" she said. "What would you possibly need me for? What about-"

She was interrupted by the fox's voice in her head. _"This task is entrusted to you. Just as you were entrusted with a similar task years ago."_

She suddenly felt an old fear rise up inside her again. The fox seemed to sense it and spoke again. _"No, you will not have to provide yourself as you did before, though, it has been deemed you will need his help, as he will need yours, it will not be in the same way."_

"You mean…" she almost had to force the word out of her throat, it had been so long since she had said, or even thought about him, even though she always tried to keep him in her heart. "…The Guardian?"

The fox nodded, and as she did, another form suddenly appeared behind her. A huge, white furry creature with three horns, two on its head, and one on its chin, rows of teeth, and yellow eyes. It was an appearance the young woman knew like a part of herself. Seeing the familiar demon again almost brought tears to her eyes, both tears of joy and tears that depicted her conflicted past. The demon spoke, his familiar voice filling her mind as if it was never gone.

"We meet again, Wild Flower."


	2. Chapter 2

Jade Empire

Mirror of Shadows

Chapter 2

_In which a familiar darkness grows_

_An army of hatred rallies_

_And an ancient power chooses his side_

It was dark. It was always dark, save for his one ball of flame that burned for 3000 years. But, in his mind, the darkness seemed to be swallowing him, little by little. He hated it; he hated being here for 3000 years, he hated that he had to hide from the Celestial Bureaucracy. The darkness…the loneliness…it was eating away at him. No! He would not succumb to this, not now! Not when his time to leave was so close. "I am Xia Men…" he said to himself. "And I will be free…soon enough."

He knew what his goal was, his dream. He wanted to be powerful, he wanted to tap into his greatest power and make all, mortals, demons, spirits, and gods, pale in comparison. His power, they feared it, they hated it, that's why they locked him away. These thoughts filled his mind for three millennia. His desire to achieve his greatest potential, to become the most powerful of all, and the recent disturbing feelings outside his prison, that had been occurring for two decades, holding his interest, was what kept him sane, and kept him strong. Xia Men was a Tiger god, named for his father and born from a family of divine blood, his history, and burning power, led everyone, even the gods themselves, to calling him a Tiger "Demon". But he was no demon; he did not have the weaknesses of demons. He knew he was more than a mere demon, but if he was less than a god, then he chose the title of demigod. Whatever he truly was, demon, god, or demigod, he would show them all his true power soon enough

He looked at his hands; they looked so…mortal, so human after all this time of diminishing his power. He hid his power from his enemies so they would believe he was subdued, but in fact, he was merely biding his time. If he could see himself after all this time, he probably looked more like a human than his more…tiger-like traits he remembered. It was an advantage of course; he could walk the mortal world with impunity, the mortals never knowing what he truly was, and the Bureaucracy would not sense him with his powers dampened. However, he felt a longing for his power, it was a hunger he might not be able to control once he was among the mortals. But even the hunger would not stop him, he decided. He would not forsake 3000 years of waiting; he would be subtle and wait. It would not be long before he proved who he really was.

Suddenly, Xia Men felt a presence in his "prison". He looked up at the walls of stone and rock. Only light and shadow dancing among one another as the floating ball of flame flickered in the darkness. Still, he felt something…something coming. It had enormous power.

Then, a red light appeared before him, it grew larger and burned brighter, followed by a booming roar of a bovine nature. As the bright light dimmed, a creature stood in its place; a demon that made Xia Men's stomach turn.

It towered over Xia Men's form, it stood on two hoofed feet. Its hulking red form was burning with its chi. its "head" was a mutated form of two bovine heads, with two protruding horns from one side of each and the one that was supposed to be the second for both heads was a stump of bone in the middle of the creature's heads. It had one burning eye on each side of its heads and two mouths on both sides of each head, both with tendrils of drool dangling from them.

It was a bull demon, one of the most malicious and powerful of demons. If that weren't enough, this particular one seemed to be supplemented with even more power, something twisted and evil. It seemed to be emanating it arrogantly, as if to frighten Xia Men.

But he was not frightened, only disgusted.

"I bring greetings from my master." The creature said, both its revolting mouths speaking at once. "He offers you an opportunity."

The demon looked at the ground where Xia Men stood, a look of surprise flashed across the demon's faces, then it returned its gaze to Xia Men.

"Hmm, I had come to remove the seal, which keeps you tethered to this place," It said. "But it appears to have already been broken."

"I know," said Xia Men. "I broke the seal shortly after I was imprisoned here."

"What?" exclaimed the demon. "You broke the seal yourself, yet you remained here for 3000 years of your own free will? Why?"

"I am not a fool, demon." Replied Xia Men. "If I suddenly left the confines of my 'prison' they would only try to imprison me again. I could not take the chance they would succeed and use a more powerful seal. So, I've been waiting here, biding my time, storing my power, until the opportune moment."

The bull demon huffed respectfully. "Impressive," it said. "You had the strength to break the seal easily, and the cunning to use your confinement to your advantage. My master would benefit from a demon as powerful as you."

Xia Men felt his rage build, but he kept it in check, he wanted to see what kind of offer this creature would make. "Never, call me a demon."

The creature snorted amusingly. "Ha! If you are not a demon, then what are you? Bah! It does not matter, demon or no, my master desires your _power_ not your status among the order of things."

"You told me you had an offer for me, bull demon." Xia Men said impatiently. "Get on with it."

"Very well." The bull demon snorted. "I am a Minion of Suffering, an emissary for my master, a most powerful entity who seeks the service of powerful beings to serve him in his conquest."

"Who is your master?" asked Xia Men.

"He has no name," replied the demon. "He needs no name. He is a being of pure malice and hatred. He feeds on hate and anger and becomes strong. He is darkness. He is suffering. He is Evil incarnate."

"How vague," said Xia Men. "I've never heard of such a creature."

"You were confined too long to know of his existence." Said the demon. "He was born from the pain of a goddess and the hatred of the spirits haunting a land called Dirge, he was defeated twelve years ago by the last Spirit Monk, but was not destroyed. He placed himself in torpor after his defeat and, after replenishing some of his strength, spread into distant lands, including much of the Jade Empire. Even now, he is everywhere, silently feeding on hatred and suffering. He grows stronger with each passing day, and when he is strong enough, he will unleash those loyal to him upon the mortal world. Soon other worlds will follow, until all bow before my master."

Xia Men did not like the sound of this. This "master" was planning on dominating all worlds? Xia Men cared little for the lives of the puny mortals and had no love for the gods since his imprisonment, but he could not afford to have a being that could grow that powerful exist. He did not want to be a servant

And he certainly did not want a rival

"Well?" said the demon. "Will you heed my master's call?"

"I'm afraid I will have to decline your master's offer," said Xia Men. "I have my own goals in mind, my own ambitions. I will _serve _no one."

"Do not be a fool!" said the demon. "My master will soon assault both the heavens and earth. He will swallow anything in his path that opposes him, even you. My master believes you would be better suited as an ally than as…an obstacle."

"You have my answer, Minion of Suffering!" said Xia Men. "Pursue this fruitless venture any further, and I will have to eradicate your existence."

The demon only laughed. "You are no match for me. I have no fear of you, for I am empowered by my master! If you will not join us, then you are useless. Prepare to be torn asunder!"

Before the demon could strike, or even move, Xia Men had already jumped up brought his fist to the demon's faces and struck it down. It fell to the ground like a rock, its hulking body motionless as Xia Men felt the demon's powerful energy fade into nothing.

"Pah! Even diminished as I am this…thing could not live up to its boasts." Xia Men stretched, he had not had a good fight in awhile, but it felt good to kill the pathetic creature.

"Ah well," he said. "I suppose now is as good a time as any." He walked toward the entrance of his prison, his little ball of flame following, and pushed back the large stone door, which sealed him off from the mortal world. The door was not hard to push back, considering his strength, but he was almost blinded by the rays of sunlight that raced through the opening. Even after he opened the entrance completely and walked into the world again, he did so with squinted eyes. Though he could not see well at first, the serene feeling of fresh air as it filled his lungs, invigorated him. Once his eyes adjusted, he saw the earth again for the first time in three millennia.

"Hmm, it hasn't changed much," he said as he extinguished the ball of flame that gave him light for 3000 years, now that he had sunlight, it was no longer necessary. He caught sight of a lake and walked over to it, curious to see himself after 3000 years. He looked in his reflection to see just what he had expected: a human. His hair was tied back, as he remembered it, and his face was, in his opinion, still attractive, but it was more human than he cared for it to be. His red tunic was a little torn and worn down, but still wearable, his black leggings were in a similar condition.

As he looked at his reflection, he saw a fish gliding in the water just below the surface. He grabbed it easily and killed it by hitting it on the rocks lining the lake.

It didn't take him long to make a fire, given his attribute to it, and cook the fish. As he sunk his teeth into the juicy meat of the fish, it felt like serenity to eat again after 3000 years. While letting his body slowly absorb his own powerful energy helped him survive, it also weakened him. Xia Men easily enjoyed the pleasures of eating again. Now that he was free, and unnoticed by the Celestial Bureaucracy, his power could only grow.

But first, he needed something that belonged to him, something that was now in the possession of a particular puppet of the Celestial Bureaucracy: his weapon, The Sword of Primal Flame, was necessary if he wanted to regain his lost power.

"I think it is time I pay a certain fox spirit a visit."


	3. Chapter 3

Jade Empire

Mirror of Shadows

Chapter 3

In which a heaven burns A weapon is revealed 

_And Wild Flower learns of her destiny_

It was such a beautiful place; The Forest Shadow's heaven looked just as it did when Wild Flower had visited it twelve years ago. It was bright, colorful, and harmonious. She had never seen a place like it before.

Her return to this world came when The Forest Shadow, guardian of the Great Southern Forest, appeared to her. If that weren't amazing enough, Chai Ka, whom she had known for so long as "The Guardian", appeared as well. It was joyous to see him again, but she was also glad she was not sharing her body with him and "The Other", especially. Though, she admitted she sometimes missed the Guardian protecting her and comforting her when things became overwhelming, but she didn't miss the constant conflict between him and Ya Zhen.

She also found that the ability to protect herself made her feel strong. Not that she didn't appreciate the Guardian's efforts years ago, but she felt better about herself knowing that she could rely on her own strength, thanks to the Guardian's final gift. It was the gift she cherished most of all. It almost brought tears to her eyes to remember all Chai Ka had done for her; he had given her new life, and allowed her to live it how she wished. She spent the last twelve years trying to help others, as the Guardian had helped her, and repaying the kindness both he and Lu had shown her years ago.

"…Wild Flower, you should show respect to the Forest Shadow by giving her your full attention." Said Chai Ka suddenly.

Wild Flower gasped, she had caught herself dwelling on the past while the Forest Shadow was speaking. She became flushed with embarrassment and snapped back into attention, focusing completely on the fox spirit.

Shining Tusk, the Forest Shadow's guardian, stood beside the fox spirit, glaring at Wild flower with a stern look, but the Forest Shadow's muzzle curved into a smile. _"Nothing to be alarmed over child," _she said. _"I sensed you were dwelling on the deeds done by Chai Ka, that allowed you to lead your life as it were. It is good that you are thankful for his sacrifices."_

Wild Flower couldn't help but show a hint of her own smile. She was glad the fox spirit was so understanding.

"_But, as I was saying,_"the smile vanished from her mouth. "_There are pressing matters at hand, which we need to discuss._"

…

"Just…a little…more…" Xia Men was beginning to feel the strain on his powers as he began ripping the very fabric of space apart with his bare hands. He had found his way to the Great Southern Forest, located the temple of the Forest Shadow, and, instead of fiddling with the combination of lights which would open the portal, and alerting the spirit to him, decided to catch the fox off-guard by cutting through the portal, and ripping it open himself. The effort was arduous, but his power of Primal Fire allowed him to do many things. Slowly, but surely he pulled the energy back, opening the portal to heaven seemingly out of nothing. He pulled it as far as he needed and stopped.

The portal was now ringed with flame, burning at its edges. It seemed to burn away the portal's attempt at closing again, keeping it open long enough for Xia Men to step through. Before he did so, however, he looked into the portal itself, seeing the vastness of the Forest Shadow's heaven. It was beautiful and wondrous; it seemed to stretch on forever. Everything was illuminated with a holy light that shined without the need of a sun. But the ethereal beauty of this heaven was not Xia Men's concern. For he was looking for something very valuable to him, and, if necessary, he would burn this heaven to celestial ash to find it. Without another thought, he stepped through…

…

Wild Flower couldn't help but feel something…strange all of a sudden. It was unlike anything she ever felt before. It felt so…unique.

"_As I was saying,_" began the Forest Shadow. "_The heavens have sensed something ominous encroaching upon the Jade Empire._ _An advancing army has crossed the eastern sea, and has made it to the shores beyond the empire."_

Wild Flower was horrified to hear this news, advancing invaders preparing to assault the Jade Empire? She looked up at Chai Ka, who was focused on the Forest Shadow, then returned her gaze towards her. "What is this army?" she asked. "Are they Outlanders?"

The fox closed her eyes and tilted hr head down, as if in focus. "_I am more concerned with what is driving them to attack,_" she said. "_They crossed the sea, an armada of ships landing on the eastern shore near your city of Phoenix Gate, they had weapons and vehicles of war. True, these people are conquerors, but even they should know better than to strike at the Jade Empire._"

Shining Tusk, let out a snort. Wild Flower looked up at him instinctively. He was looking ahead, his gaze darkened, like something was coming. He then looked to the Forest Shadow earnestly, as if he was eager to tell her something, but she continued to speak. "_Even with their weapons, the flyers and magic of your people would eventually turn their attack. They know this, yet they strike anyway…_" the Forest shadow brought her head back up, her eyes staring into Wild Flower's. " _My fear is that…something is compelling them to attack, something shrouded in darkness. But what, I-"_

"_Mistress!_" came a shout from behind Wild Flower. She turned to see a white fox spirit running towards them, panic etched on her face.

"_What is it, sister?_" asked the Forest shadow patiently. "_There are important matters that need to be said here._"

The white fox was panting heavily, wild flower could sense fear in her heart. "_Forgive me mistress,_" she said, pressure in her voice. "_But something has…your heaven…it is burning!_"

"_Burning?" _Asked the Forest Shadow, startled. "_What is the meaning of this? How did this happen?_"

"_Mistress…_" the fox spirit seemed to be struggling with her words, as if she herself did not believe what she was about to say. "_The Caged One…He is released!"_

…

Xia Men now looked at the beautiful heaven from the other side of the portal, his burning chi catching on the grass beneath his feet, and warming the cool breeze as it attempted to caress him. He admired it for a moment; he was not without an understanding and respect for beauty. Still there were more important matters at hand. He needed to retrieve his blade from The Forest Shadow if he wanted to restore enough of his power to survive, and to achieve his goal. Though weakened as he was, he had enough power stored to finish the fox if he needed to. Even still, his level of power was uncomfortably low, if he did not succeed here, he would not succeed at all.

But even in his haste, he was not without rationality; he knew much about the Forest Shadow and her powers. She could appear wherever she wanted, but to escape her realm, she would have to use the portal. "Just to make sure you can't sneak past me…" he said, then revved his chi, turning it into crimson flame. As it spread to his arm, he thrust his fist into the portal. As he did, the portal burst into flames, the image of her temple consumed by an inferno. The portal was now encased in a shield of flame, one only he could escape through. Once the deed was done, he turned to see three fox spirits standing before him. They were baring their fangs and growling at him, and had dropped to a fighting stance, preparing to give their lives for the Forest Shadow. But Xia Men had no time for weaklings; he simply glared at them with unforgiving eyes. "I'm here for your mistress," he said. "If you value your lives, you will move…now."

The foxes did not move. They stood their ground with fierce determination. Xia Men just sighed; apparently he was going to have to waste more power fighting weaklings after all.

Suddenly, the middle fox lunged…

…

All, The Forest Shadow, Shining Tusk, Even Chai Ka, seemed to be wracked with disbelief. Wild flower was the only one who did not know what was going on. He hated feeling like she didn't belong, because of her ignorance of the situation.

"…_Impossible…_" said the Forest shadow after some time. Even _she_ did not believe it. Suddenly, she saw smoke billowing from the place where the portal should be. Now she knew it was true…

"But…who is the Caged One?" Asked Wild Flower out loud, hoping someone, anyone, would give her an answer. But she went largely ignored.

"_Where is he now?_" asked the Forest Shadow. She was completely focused and alert now.

"_He is making his way up this very path, Mistress,_" said the distressed fox spirit. "_Our sisters are trying to hold him off, but he will be here soon!_"

The Forest Shadow's gaze darkened. "_I know what he is here for…"_

Wild Flower looked in horror as she saw the flames rise up beyond the rocks and the roof over the bridge. Even worse, it began moving forward, like a spreading forest fire consuming everything in its path. Whoever it was, they were coming this way.

"_He must be dealt with._" Said the Forest Shadow. "_Shining Tusk, retrieve the sword and take Wild Flower and Chai Ka through the back way, beyond this window." _She moved as if to charge, but Shining Tusk put his large, leathery hand in front of her.

"No, Mistress," he said. "As your guardian, it is my duty to protect you with my life. Also, you must finish revealing the information you have learned to the girl and the Heavenly Gate Guardian. I will go and try to stop his advance, you lead them on."

"_That is courageous of you Shining Tusk,_" said the Forest Shadow"_But you do not have the power to defeat him."_

"Perhaps not," said Shining Tusk. "But I will be able to buy some time for you to escape. Go Mistress, and be safe." He trumpeted a battle cry and charged down the stairs leading to the flames.

"_Good luck, my friend,_" said The Forest Shadow, even though Shining Tusk was too far and too distracted to hear her. She then turned to Wild Flower and Chai Ka. "_Come, we must go."_

She ran to the Ceramic urn next to the shining window and opened it. A blue light emanated from within as it opened. She stuck her paw inside, and pulled out a beautiful sword. Wild Flower thought it reminded her of the Dragon Sword Lu had found, only this one was gold, and instead of rings, it had black stripes across the flat of the blade. They reminded her of a tiger's stripes. What was even more amazing was how the Forest Shadow managed to fit such a big sword inside such a small urn.

Just as she closed the urn again, the shining window faded away, revealing another path Wild Flower had never seen before. It must have been a secret escape route. Hopefully, it led to another portal. Unfortunately, the path went straight for a while, so if this "Caged One" got to this place in time, he would easily spot them…

…

The ever-winding path to the Forest Shadow was beginning to grate on Xia Men's nerves. He hap hoped crossing the bridge with the stairs would lead him to the fox, but it only led to more of her lesser protectors. They seemed to come in never-ending swarms, but they were nothing more than ants to him. They punched, kicked, clawed, and did whatever it took to try and stop them, but as they attacked, she simply tore them off and threw them aside like rag-dolls. If they attacked from behind, or they simply got in his way too often, he retaliated and knocked them unconscious with one blow. Nevertheless, the lesser foxes only made time creep by slower. If he didn't need his sword in order to survive, he would have decided it wasn't worth the hassle.

He finally came to another bridge, this one was straight and it seemed shorter than the first. He was sure this one led to the fox. It wouldn't be long before he obtained it now…

…

They weren't on the path for very long when Wild Flower heard the sounds of battle behind them. She heard the attacks of the fox spirits, the trumpeting of Shining Tusk, and painful screaming, which she also heard coming from the foxes. If there was any indication of the enemy's presence, it came from the crackling of distant flames. She looked back, only to see the familiar large, gray body of Shining Tusk appear in front of the window. Apparently, whoever it was had beaten them back to that spot and the elephant demon was trying to blind the intruder to their presence, giving them more time to escape. But from the looks of things, Shining Tusk was battling on the run. The fight was not going in his favor…

…

Xia Men felt that he stood on the threshold of victory. He had made it to the highest point in the heaven, with only one obstacle in his way: a lone Elephant demon, who was in way over his head.

"You must be the Forest Shadow's guardian," said Xia Men, an amused grin on his face. A lot had changed since he last saw the fox. He assumed she must have been charged with something important for her to have a guardian. "Do you even know why I am here? Do you know what your mistress holds in her possession?

"It makes no difference," said Shining Tusk, his eyes glaring down at the smaller Xia Men. "However powerful you may be, I will stop you here and now!"

Xia Men chuckled amusingly. "I'm sure you will try."

Shining Tusk lifted both his muscular arms over his head. "For whatever reason you intruded upon this place…" he threw his arms down, in an attempt to crush the intruder. "You have failed!"

Xia Men raised his own arms above his head, catching Shining Tusks' before they could impact. Shining Tusk's eyes widened in shock; though his arms were nearly bigger than Xia Men's entire body, he caught them like they were nothing but hollow tubes.

He attempted to pull them back, but Xia Men had a firm grip on them. It didn't seem possible, how could this puny, human-looking creature be stronger than he was?

"_What is he?_" he thought.

…

Wild Flower couldn't look anymore. She had seen Shining Tusk bring his arms down upon something. She wasn't sure what happened, but something within her told her to look away, because it wasn't good.

" _We don't have much time,_" said the Forest Shadow. "_Shining Tusk wont be able to hold him at bay for much longer._" She took Wild Flower's hand and placed the sword in it. "_You must keep Xia Men from getting this sword,_" she said. "_If he regains it, his power will increase tenfold, and then there will be few who can stop him._"

"But, Forest Shadow," said Wild Flower. "I-I don't understand. Why give the sword to me? Why not use it against him?"

"_I cannot wield it, child,_" replied the fox. "_The blade only has power for those of Xia Men's bloodline. If anyone else tries to wield it, they will be over-encumbered._"

"But…what do you want me to do with it then?"

"_Take it to your empire's palace. Your friend, the Spirit Monk, may be able to keep it from Xia Men, at least for a time."_

Wild Flower nodded in acknowledgement, and stuck the blade between her sash.

"_Also,_" the Forest Shadow opened her other paw and revealed what looked like a large seed. "_Take this_."

"What is it?" asked Wild Flower.

Before she could answer, the sound of snapping wood and breaking stone was heard, along with a painful trumpet. They looked to see Shining Tusk flying through the wall of the building, and rolling along the ground before being stopped by a group of rocks overlooking the edge of the pathway. He was beaten and could barely move. And from the other side of the hole, Wild Flower saw for the first time, the being known as Xia Men.

She was surprised at what she saw; she had expected an ugly, demonic creature, but instead, she saw what looked like a young human, not much older than she was. He had a striking face, long, tied-back hair, and blood-red tunic and black leggings. If it had been another situation, she might have found him attractive. But she looked at the Forest Shadow, who glared angrily at the figure.

"_It's him,_" she said.

Wild flower looked at the figure again, this time she noticed his gaze. There was darkness in his eyes, more like emptiness than evil, almost as if he was longing for something. But it seemed more out of necessity than greed. And his glare, while intimidating, seemed to show more annoyance than malice. It was strange, especially for this situation, but she didn't sense what she had expected.

"Nowhere for you to run, fox!" shouted Xia Men. Wild Flower noticed he sounded like a young man too, but for the Forest Shadow to know who he was, he must have been centuries old, maybe even older than that. "Give me what is mine!"

He walked down the stairs casually, as if he had nothing to fear. As he passed by Shining Tusk, the Elephant demon extended a large, quivering hand in an attempt to stop Ixia Men.

"_No Shining Tusk!_" exclaimed the Forest Shadow. "_Stay where you are! You can do nothing more!_"

"You should listen to your mistress," said Ixia Men, not even looking in Shining Tusk's direction. "I went easy on you before, be thankful for that."

But Shining Tusk still tried. He tried to grab Ixia Men as he passed, but was too weak from the first attack, and finally let his arm fall.

"_Go…now,_" said the Forest Shadow to Wild Flower and Chai Ka. They obeyed and turned to flee. They found a winding path just ahead of them and took the opportunity to duck out of sight. Chain Ka was the first to duck behind the pillar of rocks, but Wild Flower looked back for a moment. The saw Xia Men walk closer to the Forest Shadow, the dark glare steadfast in his eyes. She couldn't help feeling that something was amiss, like the assumption of his nature was…a mistake. She would have thought about it longer if Chai Ka had not pulled her behind the rocks with him.

"_So, it _is _you Xia Men,_" Said The Forest Shadow. "_You do not look as I remember you. If I had not picked up your scent, I would not have recognized you at all. You look so…human."_

"Such misfortune comes from feeding off of my own energy for 3000 years," spat Xia Men. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you and the rest of the Celestial Bureaucrats were trying to slowly starve me to death."

"_Well, your imprisonment was meant to be indefinite,_" chortled the Forest Shadow.

"Do not mock me, fox!" growled Xia Men. "I can obliterate you here if I so choose! But that is not what I am here for. Return to me my weapon, and I will leave peacefully."

Seriousness now washed over the fox's face. "_You and I both know I cannot do that._"

Xia Men growled in frustration. "What kind of fool are you? I offer to leave you and your heaven in peace in return for my weapon, and still you choose the hard way?"

"_At what cost would peace in my realm be,_" replied the Forest Shadow. "_For the rest of the world?"_

Xia Men was now growling with rage. She was just like the others; they assumed they knew everything. They thought they already knew everything about him and his family. That's why they were all dead, and why he was chained. Because they were afraid, they always were

"You presume to know me?" said Xia Men through his teeth. "Neither you nor any of the gods ever knew anything about my family!"

His Chi burned around him. He looked like he was immolated by his own power. His rage had sparked his power to rise so greatly his chi was visible. He breathed heavily, his nostrils flaring. Then he shook it off and attempted to calm himself once more. "Very well," he said. "I suppose you'll tell me after I crush you in battle."

"_Now you are the one making presumptions,_" said the fox, with amusement. "_I am not so easily beaten. In fact, with your power diminished as it is, I would say I am more than your match."_

"You think so?" said Xia Men challengingly. "Come then, let us find out!"

All during that time, Wild Flower and Chai Ka had been watching from I higher path. Chai ka had insisted that they wait to make an escape until Xia Men and the Forest Shadow had engaged each other, now they were almost directly above the two as they were about to come to blows. Wild Flower really wanted to see what would happen, but at the same time she did not want to endanger her mission due to curiosity. She was about to move ahead when Chai Ka stopped her. "Wait," he said. "I must know the strength of this individual first."

Wild Flower was confused at Chai Ka's words, but at least she could stay to see the outcome… possibly.

The Forest Shadow stared into the eyes of her opponent. There was a hunger in his eyes that almost surpassed that of the Mother. Suddenly, Xia Men charged forward. The Forest Shadow also charged. As the two combatants were about to collide, The Forest Shadow knew Xia Men would regret underestimating her.

But she also realized this battle was not necessarily in her favor…


End file.
